No election, please, we are in a pandemic
Premier John Horgan will lose thousands of voters if he calls an early election during a worldwide deadly pandemic.
That would be a slap in the face to British Columbia families trying to survive during this crisis.
E.A. Lubick
Saanich
Raeside CERB cartoon was not funny
I often enjoy Adrian Raeside’s cartoons, so it was disappointing to see his not-so-funny cartoon on lounging CERB slackers.
While there may be a few who are taking advantage of CERB, I doubt there are many.
The people I know who are receiving it were staring at a total loss of income, and have been so grateful for it, but feeling anxious about its ending.
The entire performing arts community is without work for an indefinite future, and not just the performers, but all the technicians and support staff as well. Then there is an entire hospitality industry and tourist industry that is not re-hiring all its workers back just now.
And, understandably, with the new surge in cases, many people are justifiably nervous about returning to work and adding to the caseload.
Dr. Bonnie Henry is urging us to be kind. She also encourages us not to be critical or jump to conclusions as everyone has their own story.
This cartoon was not kind. It stigmatizes and criticizes those who are receiving CERB, by suggesting they are lazy slackers.
Anna Bowness-Park
Esquimalt
Carriage firms wasting taxpayer dollars
The Victoria Police Department has made it clear they are struggling with their allocated budget. Regardless of if you think they’re overfunded or under, it’s disgraceful that on multiple occasions the horse carriage companies that operate in Victoria have misleadingly and wrongfully called the police on peaceful protesters.
Every time they make false allegations and request police attendance, it takes them away from actual emergencies.
Every time the police have attended, the allegations have been proven false with police confirming nothing illegal is taking place.
The fact that the horse carriage companies think they have the right to waste police time, money and resources during these difficult times is disgraceful.
While the City of Victoria rents out several prime location parking spots on Menzies to them (worth an estimated extra $20,000 annually), these Saanich-owned businesses seem to have little regard or care for Victoria taxpayers.
Tony Aston
Victoria
Federal government is out of touch
Each federal civil servant recently got a lump sum for the stress and anxiety caused by the troubles with the new pay system, but they also just received a pay raise.
All this, while those in the private sector are forced to try and survive during the worst pandemic that most of us have ever seen.
Many people can’t find work that will provide sufficient funds to pay bills, or even to provide food for their family.
The whole situation is just another example of a federal government that is out of touch with reality.
Henry Fox
Victoria
Never a dull moment on the vehicle deck
My wife and I took the B.C. Ferries since the commencement of the COVID-19 restrictions.
I would like to commend the ferry staff for the safety practices and cleanliness they have undertaken to make our trip safe.
Unfortunately, there are many people who ignore the recommendations to wear a mask.
Staying in our car during the entire trip opened our eyes to a whole new experience.
First, the sound of car alarms pierced the air. Then there were the patrons who decided to share their telephone calls with the rest of us by leaving their windows open and putting their phones on Bluetooth at a loud level for everyone to hear. Someone’s grandma was really glad to hear from her grandson.
One patron decided to turn deck four into a nightclub by cranking the volume on his truck sound system for all to enjoy. If you didn’t dislike country music to start, you really did at the end of the sailing. The disk jockey then decided “damn the rules I’m going to smoke in my vehicle on the car deck and why not have a couple of beers at the same time”!
So next time you decide to take the ferry and are concerned about how boring it may be for staying on the car deck, there is free entertainment.
Brian A. Belcher
Victoria
Richardson St. needs protected car lane
I’ve lived on McNeill, an extension of Richardson, for 41years. There is no problem today with traffic flows, volumes, conflict with cyclists or pedestrians. There never has been.
The only traffic jams are caused by deer in the street. Any adult cyclist who is not comfortable riding on Richardson today needs to take a cycling skills course to give them the confidence to ride in low to moderate traffic.
If the City of Victoria goes ahead with its misguided plan I will have to find a new cycling route as I will not frequent a street where opposing car drivers have to play chicken to see who gets the only car lane.
Given this plan, what the residents and car drivers really need is a protected car lane — to protect residents from the zealots on city council. The five of you, and you know who you are, should resign.
Chris Foord
Oak Bay
Negative stereotypes cause harm
Re: “Mentally ill people can lead productive lives,” letter, July 21.
Of course some people with mental illness can lead productive lives. Not all mental illnesses are the same, just as not all physical illnesses are the same; nor do they respond equally to the treatments available today. It is ridiculous to make blanket judgments about such a large and diverse group of people.
The same applies to the homeless. There is nothing shameful about not being able to afford today’s sky-high rents: that in itself does not make people thieves, or arsonists, or rapists, as one might infer from the hew and cry about homeless tenters in Beacon Hill Park.
All people facing difficulties can lead more productive lives if they are not the targets of negative stereotypes.
Yvonne Parti
Victoria
In praise of public transit
I am a social service worker. I ride my bike a lot, and use a car (sometimes because public transit isn’t available), but even with those options, public transit is irreplaceable.
It is our ticket to a greener environment; for me it is the way home after a party, or when I’ve gotten a ride to somewhere, when it’s simply too far on the bike, when I have too much to carry to walk home with, or when I find myself in town without a vehicle.
Many of my clients cannot afford a car, they rely on public transit to get to work or other places. They cannot afford to hire a taxi to go somewhere.
The world needs fewer cars. We need less traffic, fewer accidents, better air quality, less noise pollution — it’s something we should strive towards.
I would happily go without the car if public transit was better in my town, and hopefully one day it will be. Please, use my tax dollars to fund public transit — the world needs it!
S.I. Rosebrock
Saanich
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